After viewing the newly opened Open Exhibition at the Grundy Art Gallery, David Simper took the short stroll down to the Grand Theatre to catch this play performed by the Fylde Coast Youth Theatre. It did not disappoint.
On entering the Grand Theatre Studio, the cast of Girls Like That was already in the performance space, dressed in matching white shirts/blouses and denim. Spot on 3pm, the lights dropped and we were straight into it. A single performer, in the role of Scarlett, stood unsmiling stage centre – the other actors surrounded and berated her viciously, which was a surprisingly visceral experience that was close to upsetting.
The Scarlett character translates as always something of an outsider, despite being part of a group of 20 that came together at an elite primary school and for this reason are bonded for life. The plot revolves around a naked picture of Scarlett that is texted around the school and finds its way onto social media. The ’70s were hardly an innocent time, but I don’t recall having to deal with revenge porn and cyber-bullying when I was a child.
It’s quite a gloomy picture of human nature, despite a pervading sense of guilt.
Despite their better natures, it seems that a herd mentality takes over and even the close-knit primary school group turn on the unfortunate Scarlett. At one stage the cast members set out to delete the photograph, but it always seems to resurface until the entire school has gloated over it. It’s never really clear who has taken and released the picture. The plot then proceeds through every stage of vile bullying that can be imagined. Characters, including one of the males, who try to stand against this are swept aside, the latter almost inevitably being called gay, homophobic bullying clearly not being dead either. It’s all quite a gloomy picture of human nature, despite a pervading sense of guilt.
Interspersed with the main plot, are a series of vignettes based on women resisting various forms of male oppression – these just seem to be context at the time, but their time will come.
Solo roles rotate around the cast and each has their turn, delivering soliloquies and taking on different characters in the vignettes. This transmits as democratic and is clearly the sign of a strong cast with a lot of depth. The delivery and annunciation is excellent, particularly from still developing voices with no amplification. Minimalist props and basically non-existent scenery, are deployed and shifted deftly in a case study in team work.
After a climactic fight sequence, Scarlett disappears and the bullies fears the worst. Their humanity returns and they realise the import of what they have done – they genuinely miss their friend. Then Scarlett reappears and seizes the stage through the medium of a school project to research the student’s female ancestors. The mysterious vignettes are revealed as concerning Scarlett’s ancestors, all fighters for female agency in their different ways and all leading to the strong woman that Scarlett is.
There is so much in this play, so professionally performed by this young and completely committed cast. I can’t praise them enough really. The play also cocks snooks at some of my least favourite organisations, including a certain fast food emporium and a newspaper that doesn’t like women to have a good time, but does like them to wear bathing costumes. Men come out of this badly, but not the three male performers here, who were all excellent. This is an excellent piece of work at all levels and all involved are worthy of hearty congratulations.
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